Erin Walker stood on the edge of the hospital's volunteer garden, shovel in hand, as the late spring sun filtered through newly unfurled leaves. A cluster of patient volunteers and staff from Hope Free Clinic were planting herbs and flowers to beautify the courtyard. The scent of rosemary and lavender mingled in the warm air.
Erin inhaled deeply. After her transplant and the twins' surgeries, she'd been eager to return to service—both to reclaim part of her old self and to give back. But today, as she lifted a clump of soil, a familiar ache flared in her chest. She froze, tense, pressing a hand over the transplanted heart beneath her scrub top.
Dr. Reynolds, overseeing the project, noticed Erin pause. “Everything all right, Dr. Walker?"
Erin steadied her breath. “Just a muscle cramp." S
